In-House Counsel

Making The Most Of Conferences

If your company is spending the money and investing in its or your development, then strive to get the most out of the experience.

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As the weather cools and pumpkins start to appear, it’s a sign of … wait for it … conference season! So spruce up your LinkedIn (or remember your business cards), pack your carry-on — and leave plenty of room to bring back swag. Here are a few tips to make the most out of your conference.

Be Present

As difficult as it is, do your best to unplug from work and be present at the conference. This means that you prepared your clients for your short absence, enlisted backup from your team, and crafted and deployed your out of office message.

I suspect that many of you may be giving me the eye roll — but hear me out. If your company is spending the money and investing in its or your development, then strive to get the most out of the experience by being fully present. Don’t misunderstand me — I completely understand that you may need to skim your email for time-sensitive issues or return a call during a break — but do push these interruptions to a break, if you are able. At the end of the day, if you are simply remote working the entire time from the conference, then attendance was a waste of your time, and the cost of attendance was a waste of your company’s money.

Take Notes

While this may sound obvious, a little intention is helpful here, such as considering how you will take notes. Personally, taking notes in an old-fashioned notebook works best for me:

  • I don’t have to worry about keeping my laptop charged.
  • Having my laptop open will tempt me to check my email and “multitask,” which would obviate my presence (see above).
  • Taking handwritten notes helps me better retain content.

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If going analog is too archaic for you, consider a smaller device, such as an iPad with detachable keyboard or pen. The smaller footprint is easier to carry from session to session and doesn’t take too much space at a shared table or create as much of a barrier with other attendees.

The reason for taking notes — other than personal learning — is to flag issues and important highlights to share with your team upon return. Our labor and employment team tries to diversify our attendance across various conferences, a strategic “divide and conquer” approach so we can leverage shared information when we regroup.

Be Social

I don’t believe this is a secret, but it is important enough to emphasize that a valuable part of attending a conference is the informal networking that occurs before, between, and after sessions. It is the relationships formed and fortified, the bench-marking and information-sharing that may arguably be even more important than the formal presentations.

As an introvert and tired mom of three, including an infant, a quiet hotel room is a sanctuary that I would not forego lightly. Instead, I am intentional about slipping to my room to pump and about grabbing some quiet time to recharge. I’m also intentional about choosing which networking events I can best meet people at to have meaningful conversations and still get a good night’s sleep.

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I also leverage LinkedIn to add people as I meet them or hear them speak.

Follow Up

I may be a bit extra about follow up, but I try to follow up with particular contacts of interest either by email or on LinkedIn during the first week I return to the office, before I — or the people I meet — forget. I also like to type up my notes and review slides at the airport or on my flight home, again before I forget. Lastly, I try to share the information I learned with my colleagues either the week I return or within two weeks, schedule permitting. I personally find that the longer I wait, the less likely any of this will happen.

Happy conferencing!

Meyling Mey Ly OrtizMeyling “Mey” Ly Ortiz is in-house at Toyota Motor North America. Her passions include mentoring, championing belonging, and a personal blog: TheMeybe.com. At home, you can find her doing her best to be a “fun” mom to a toddler and preschooler and chasing her best self on her Peloton. You can follow her on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/meybe/). And you knew this was coming: her opinions are hers alone.

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